The present invention generally relates to a shower head nozzle for use with emergency showers and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a shower nozzle having an integrated quick-coupling for select drip-tight attachment to a drain system for use in more accurately testing the functionality (e.g., flow rate and water temperature) of an emergency shower or the like.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) requires that facilities provide, for immediate emergency use, equipment for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body within work areas where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious or corrosive materials. Such drenching or flushing devices known in the art may include an eyewash unit, an eye/face wash unit, a shower, or a combination eye/face wash unit and shower, depending on the surrounding work environment. The American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”) developed a set of guidelines related to the installation and maintenance of these emergency eye/face wash units and emergency shower equipment, to better ensure safety and OSHA compliance.
In this respect, ANSI recommends weekly testing of emergency eye/face wash units and safety showers. This is to ensure that the emergency eye/face wash and/or safety showers are functional in the event of an emergency. In particular, shower testing can be particularly messy due to the large amount of water dispensed from the shower head during the test. For example, one known method for containing water dispensed from the shower head during the weekly ANSI test is to use a shower sock, such as the Emergency Shower Test Kit sold by Northern Safety Co., Inc. of P.O. Box 4250, Utica, N.Y. 13504-4250. The shower sock is a cylindrical tube of about 12 inches in diameter and made from vinyl or laminated plastic sheets. The diameter of the shower sock is designed to fit over a shower head and direct water into an underlying bucket or drain. The shower sock may be hung on the shower piping or manually held about the shower head, but it can be difficult to install or hold the shower sock in this manner.
The purpose of the shower sock is to radially contain water emitted from the shower head during a weekly ANSI test. But, the shower sock has limited application in this respect because it can only contain and direct water downwardly, such as to an underlying drain or bucket (if no drain is present). One problem known in the art with this design is that the shower sock may not contain all water emitted from the shower head during the ANSI test (e.g., the shower sock has no way of preventing water from spraying out through the open top or the open bottom). Moreover, the shower sock is also prone to damage from the high-velocity water spray, which can delaminate the plastic sheets or rip the sock off the support ring. Additionally, the flimsy vinyl or laminated plastic sheets are not exactly durable and, over time, may develop small tears or holes that no longer adequately retain the water emitted from the shower head. Consequently, all water may not be adequately contained by the shower sock during the test. This can be particularly problematic and act as a testing deterrent for some customers, especially when emergency showers are located in water-sensitive locations (e.g., a semiconductor laboratory where water may ruin manufacturing equipment).
Moreover, the ANSI testing procedure includes parameters for ensuring adequate water flow rate and water temperature. But, current methods for testing the water flow rate and water temperature are less than accurate. For example, testing the ANSI water flow rate may simply include placing a large bucket underneath the shower, dispensing water into the bucket, and recording the dispensing time. The flow rate is then calculated manually, i.e., as a function of the amount of water dispensed into the bucket over the recorded time frame. This process is typically used in association with the above-mentioned shower sock. But, this testing process can be particularly ineffective as the measurements are prone to error (e.g., water loss and/or timing differentials). Moreover, this process produces an undesirably large amount of waste water. The water temperature measure may also be inaccurate as the water may immediately cool off in the air between the shower head and bucket, and may gradually cool even further in the event the water temperature is measured at some point after the bucket has been filled with water.
There exists, therefore, a significant need in the art for a shower head nozzle that includes a quick-connect coupling for selectively attaching the nozzle to a downwardly extending conduit or tube for directing tested water through a test unit and into a bucket or drain, wherein the test unit may include a flow meter for measuring real-time water flow rate and a temperature sensor for measuring real-time water temperature dispensed from the shower head, thereby reducing the testing time, more accurately determining flow-rate and water temperature, and decreasing the amount of waste water. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.